New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [80]
Back in 2001, former president Bill Clinton’s selection of 55 West 125th Street as the site of his New York office was an inspiration to businesses considering a move to Harlem; now the busy thoroughfare sprouts outposts of Starbucks, Old Navy, MAC Cosmetics, and H&M side by side with local restaurants and clothing stores, including a smattering of boutiques.
Outside, the sidewalk is a continuous traffic jam of people, offering a concentrated glimpse of neighborhood life. Pedestrians compete with street-side hawkers selling bootleg DVDs, books, and homemade essential oils in nondescript bottles.
PLANNING
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
One enduring simple pleasure in Harlem is its terrific architecture: take a little time to walk the areas around Strivers’ Row, Hamilton Heights, and 116th Street for some impressive and often fanciful brownstone. While you’re at it, visit the Studio Museum in Harlem, which showcases contemporary works of Harlem’s artist community, or the Morris-Jumel Mansion, for a trip back to colonial New York.
GETTING HERE AND AROUND
The 2 and 3 subway lines stop on Lenox Avenue; the 1 goes along Broadway, to the west; and the A, B, C, and D trains travel along St. Nicholas and 8th avenues. And yes, as the song goes, the A train is still usually “the quickest way to Harlem.”
The city’s north–south avenues take on different names in Harlem: 6th Avenue is called both Malcolm X Boulevard and Lenox Avenue ; 7th Avenue is Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (it’s named for the influential minister and congressman); and 8th Avenue is Frederick Douglass Boulevard. West 125th Street, the major east–west street and Harlem’s commercial center, is sometimes called Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
SAFETY
In the past two decades Harlem’s crime rate has decreased far below the heights it reached in the 1980s. Like everywhere else in New York, however, you should still use common sense. Stay close to main commercial areas like 125th Street and Lenox Avenue if you visit at night.
TOP EXPERIENCES
Attending a gospel service at one of the many Baptist churches
Grooving to a jazz session at Lenox Lounge
Indulging in a soul-food lunch or dinner
Seeing the historic Apollo Theater
Taking a stroll along 125th Street
Walking around the Hamilton Heights, Strivers’ Row, or Sugar Hill to see elegant brownstones
TOP TOURING EXPERIENCES
FIND RELIGION IN HARLEM
For the past decade or so, the popularity of gospel tours, conducted by bus, has greatly increased, especially among Europeans. Some of the tours include only a 20-minute stop at a church to hear some of the sermon and the gospel music. Then you’re off to another Harlem sight or to a soul-food brunch. Prices may be as high as $99. The tours are a speedy, if not authentic, way to experience a bit of Harlem.
Tours garner mixed reactions from church officials and parishioners. Some see it as an opportunity to broaden horizons and encourage diversity. But others find tours disruptive and complain that tourists take seats away from regular parishioners (churches regularly fill to capacity). If you decide to go on one of these tours or to visit a church on your own, plan ahead. Most churches have services at 11, but you may need to arrive as much as two hours ahead of time to actually get in. Most important, remember that parishioners do not consider the service, or themselves, to be tourist attractions or entertainment. Dress nicely—no shorts, sneakers, or jeans. Harlem churchgoers take the term “Sunday best” to heart. Be as quiet as possible, and do not take photos or videos or use your cell phone. One tour company based in the neighborhood that does get high marks for its gospel tours is Harlem Heritage Tours (104 Malcolm X Blvd., Lenox Ave./6th Ave., Harlem | 212/280–7888